How To Travel Happy In The Heat

Growing up, my dad always told me that if your happiness depends on the weather, then Alaska is not the place for you.

It’s a bit coincidental that he ended up with a daughter whose happiness is so closely tied to the weather that she often has to plan her life around getting through the Alaskan winters without having a mental breakdown. On the occasion that I do manage to get out of state, I often, like a lizard, migrate toward the heat.

What I learned along the way is that extreme heat can be just as difficult to deal with as extreme cold. The brain fog, sweat, and humidity all make me appreciative of the cold when I get back to my home state. Sometimes, even the shortest of shorts just won’t cut it. Worse yet, you’ll get flack in a lot of countries for showing too much skin.

These are my go to tips for (respectfully) traveling in a hot climate.

Bring A Jacket

This seems super counter-intuitive, I know. But in the developed world, hot climates usually come with very powerful air conditioning. I’ve been places where it was stifling outside, but frigid inside grocery stores and movie theaters. I’ve also made the mistake of only packing warm weather clothing and not having something to cover up with during these times.

Avoid Denim At All Costs

Jean shorts are cute and make you feel like the hot girl in a country music video. I get it. But when it comes to truly hot places, all they’re going to do is give you a sweaty backside and chafing issues. It’s unpleasant and preventable.

Instead, go for loose clothing. Harem pants, cotton skirts, rompers. All of these are cute and usually cheap items to buy. The best part about loose clothing is that it also tends to pack better, unlike bulky denim.

Refill Your Water Bottles

When it’s hot and dry out, you’ll find yourself drinking more water than you ever thought possible. In some of the more touristy places, the businesses will exploit this by not having any places to refill water. If you don’t have a plan, you’ll end up going through enough plastic to stuff a landfill.

Water bottles with a filter built in allow you to refill in some of the less desirable areas, like bathroom sinks or grimy outdoor water fountains. It’ll help save you money and help the environment during your trip.

These are my top tips, but of course there’s much more that you can do to make your trip to a hot climate easier. Sweat-wicking clothing, sun hats, and plenty of sunscreen are all important things to have with you as well. You can also go super fancy and consider a parasol. Or super traditional and just go naked. It’s all up to you.

If you have any advice for traveling in the heat, feel free to leave them in the comments below. The Husband and I have opted for some warm weather travels in January and we are always looking for good tips to follow.

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